Vest ceiling jack



June 19, 1962 s. M. TATE 3,039,765

VEST CEILING JACK Filed Feb. 15, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,039,765 VEST CEILING JACK Samuel M. Tate, 315 N. Byers, Joplin, Mo. Filed Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,840 3 Claims. (Cl. 269-3) This invention relates to garments and more particularly to a special purpose garment for assisting carpenters.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vest ceiling jack having a manually actuated vertical extensible member for supporting a ceiling panel in an elevated position during the nailing thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vest ceiling jack of the above type which can be comfortably worn by a workman for supporting a ceiling panel in an elevated position so as to allow both hands of the workman to be free for nailing the panel in place.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a vest ceiling jack bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front plan view, partly in section, of a vest ceiling jack made in accordance with one form of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fiagmentary plan view of a slightly modified form of panel support structure.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a ceiling jack made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a vest type garment 12 having cushion shoulder pads 14 for protecting the shoulders of the wearer, and straps and buckles 16, 18 for securing the vest in a snug fitting position upon the body of the wearer.

A back plate 20 is secured to the back of the garment, upon which is secured a channel guide member 22, such as by rivets 24. An extensible shaft 26 is slidably received within the channel guide member 22 for selective longitudinal movement along the length thereof under the action of a scissor type jack 28 having an operating shaft 30 and manually operated handle, 32, that operate in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. It will thus be recognized that by rotating the handle 32, the extensible shaft member 26 may be elevated with respect to the channel guide member 22 and with respect to the garment 12.

The upper free end of the extensible shaft member 26 is provided with an internally threaded socket 234 for threadedly receiving a stud 36 of a depending pedestal 38 of a pair of laterally extending aligned arms 40. Each one of the arms 40 is provided at its terminal end with an upwardly extending post 42, having a substantially fiat circular pad 44 secured to the uppermost end.

3,039,765 Patented June 19, 1962 In FIGURE 4 of the drawing, a slightly modified form of panel support structure is shown to include a depending stud 48, an upwardly extending pedestal 46, and a pair of upwardly diverging arms 50, each of sucharms having a circular pad 52 secured to its uppermost free end.

In actual use, the garment 12 is snugly secured upon the body of the wearer with the operating mechanism to ward the back. The extensible shaft 26 may be adjusted by means of the jack 28 so as to support a ceiling panel at the proper height, following which the pads 44 may secure the ceiling panel in place while both hands are left free for nailing the ceiling panel in place. It will now be appreciated that this device may be readily used by persons of any height, and will not otherwise interfere with the normal activities of the person wearing the garment.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vest ceiling jack comprising, in combination, a garment comprising a vest having adjustable tab and buckle means for snugly form fitting said garment upon the body of the wearer and cushion pads embedded in the shoulders of said vest, a guide member carried upon said garment comprising a back plate secured to the back of said vest, an extensible member carried by said guide member, manually operated mechanical advantage means acting between said guide member and said extensible member, panel supporting pads carried by said extensible member, and a channel member secured vertically upon said back plate along the longitudinal center of said vest back slidably supporting said extensible member.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said extensible member comprises a shaft slidably carried within said channel for selective movement between adjusted vertical positions, and said manually operated mechanical advantage means comprises a scissor type link system acting between said channel guide member and said extensible shaft member.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said extensible shaft member at the free end thereof includes said panel supporting pads, a cross arm extending transversely of said extensible shaft member, and said pads being secured to the opposite ends of said cross arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,589 Maloney Aug. 8, 1905 1,084,868 McCuddy Jan. 20, 1914 2,685,876 Sanderson Aug. 10, 1954 2,818,567 Oliver Ian. 7, 1958 2,925,205 Hunt Feb. 16, 1960 2,926,826 Conrad Mar. 1, 1960 

